Fighting Intensifies Around Syria's Capital

UPDATE: The Syrian army pushed to take back control of the suburbs around Damascus Sunday in what activists have described as some of the fiercest fighting since the uprising against President Bashar Assad began nearly a year ago. At least 19 civilians and rebel fighters have been killed, reports Reuters. “It's urban war. There are bodies in the street,” said one activist, speaking from Kfar Batna. Fighting took place two miles from Damascus, “making it the closest yet to the capital,” reports the Associated Press, noting that at least 62 people were killed in violence across the country, according to activists. The intensified assault “appeared to indicate the government is struggling to maintain control of some areas in the belt around Syria’s largest city,” writes the Wall Street Journal.  

Saturday, Jan. 28: The Arab League suspended its observer mission in Syria Saturday following an upsurge in violence and what it described as a “critical deterioration of the situation” in the country, reports Al-Jazeera. “It has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement. No date has been set for that council meeting, notes Reuters.

The Arab League’s observer mission has come under heavy criticism for failing to stop a crackdown on protesters who have been demanding that President Bashar al-Assad step down from power. Still, despite its shortcomings, the Arab League extended the mission for a second month on Tuesday, but Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states withdrew their monitors in protest, reducing the total number of observers to 110, according to BBC News. The observers will now remain in the country but will not take on new missions. The United Nations estimates that around 5,400 people have been killed in nearly a year of protests, reports the Wall Street Journal. For its part, Syria says around 2,000 of its security forces have been killed.

Fighting between the Free Syrian Army and government troops appeared to escalate Saturday, following a deadly day in which around 60 people were killed across the country, reports Al-Jazeera. Now all eyes are on the U.N. Security Council as it continues to discuss a resolution drafted by Arab states, Britain, France and Germany that calls on Assad to hand over power to his deputy within two months. Russia has said it opposed the resolution but noted it is willing to discuss the details. The Arab League is reportedly in talks with Russia to try to obtain a compromise before Tuesday, when Elaraby is scheduled to brief the Security Council.

The draft resolution has already undergone several changes to try to appease Russia. The latest draft doesn’t actually call on Assad to step down, but rather to delegate authority, which could leave him as “the nominal leader even if he is devoid of powers,” reports Bloomberg.